Neighbors chickens taking over my property!

[schmism]

Be careful with the wing clipping part, if owner protest you can get into legal trouble because animals will have been "mutilated".

Prove that i did anything.

"Im not saying i did clip the wings, but we discussed this with the animal control who said I was clearly in my right to kill other animals that were endangering my own livestock. I think you would agree that a few clipped feathers is better than just not having your chickens"

Its very easy for me to prove your chickens were on my property. Meanwhile its going to be very hard for the neighbor to prove anything I did.

 

[centrarchid]

Trimming flight feathers is not all that different from catching a dog and shaving it or rubbing its bottom with a turpentine soaked corn cob. Animal not damaged but well within realm of harassment. Best to hide trimmings and not post on internet about your actions.

 

[CluckinBumpkin]

Everyone has great points. By the way, there is a fence up. Looks like I may have to go talk to her, see how we can fix this. Im not looking to work on times when i'm allowed to let my chickens out. They are in the yard first thing in the morning. 4:30am her roosters are at our bedroom window. Hubby says if they keep eating our feed, set up a few nesting boxes around our property to encourage her hens to leave us "gifts" in exchange for food. But seriously, like we NEED eggs.... . Hubby says maybe every now and then catch one of her chickens and rehome it. I suppose it'll come down to a (hopefully) friendly chat to find a solution. Thanks Everyone

 

[oldrooster]

Everyone has great points. By the way, there is a fence up. Looks like I may have to go talk to her, see how we can fix this. Im not looking to work on times when i'm allowed to let my chickens out. They are in the yard first thing in the morning. 4:30am her roosters are at our bedroom window. Hubby says if they keep eating our feed, set up a few nesting boxes around our property to encourage her hens to leave us "gifts" in exchange for food. But seriously, like we NEED eggs.... . Hubby says maybe every now and then catch one of her chickens and rehome it. I suppose it'll come down to a (hopefully) friendly chat to find a solution. Thanks Everyone

I would be nice and ask politely if she could do something to keep her birds at home if that does not wok I would have a couple of fence panels up so no one can see what you are doing next to the house and I'd "re home" the roosters one by one to the stew pot 1 or 2 a week 3-4 days apart. and when she does not keep her hens at home after 1-2 week break, I would start on the hens one a weeks to the stew pot. if she asks you about them just say I have noticed fewer of them coming over, but after our talk I thought you where trying your best to keep them home and didn't give it another thought.....

 

[jgarreth]

Everyone has made good suggestions. I am the type who does not beat around the bush. I would just go to her house and politely tell her that she needs to keep her chickens on her property. Period. If she doesn't, I would call animal control. If you already have a fence, what else can you do? She is the one at fault. People like that just bug the crap out of me.

 

[JanetS]

I think talking to the neighbor should be your first step. You didn't say how tall your fence was. Could you add some wire to the top of it to make it higher?